“I was just joshing”
Liberty nickel
In 1883, with the silver half dime out of production, the Mint changed the design of the 5-cent piece. The first series of coins in 1883 did not have the word cents on the reverse, only a large Roman numeral 5 or “V”. Unscrupulous people gold-plated the new nickel and passed the coin as a 5-dollar gold piece, because the 2 coins were about the same size and both had a similar Liberty engraving on the obverse.4
Around this time, famous con artist Josh Tatum supposedly would walk into a store and select a 5-cent item, such as a 5-cent cigar, and tender a 24-karat gold-plated nickel. If the storekeeper noticed it was a nickel, Tatum would simply leave with his purchase. Most of the time, however, he would leave with his purchase and $4.95 in change. When Tatum was eventually apprehended and his case went to trial, the defense attorney asked each storekeeper if Tatum, who could neither speak nor hear, had asked for change back. Every storekeeper testified “no.” Because it was not illegal to gold-plate coins in the 1880s and Tatum did not specifically ask for change back, he was found not guilty. Josh Tatum is often credited with inspiring the term “I was just joshing.” In 1884, this type of counterfeiting stopped when the Mint began to engrave the words Five Cents on the obverse of the nickel.6
The 1913 Liberty nickel was the last of this series and is one of the most valuable coins in the world. One such coin was sold at an auction for $1.485 million.
Nickel coinage in the United States
The history of a common contact allergen
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1071501
Liberty nickel
In 1883, with the silver half dime out of production, the Mint changed the design of the 5-cent piece. The first series of coins in 1883 did not have the word cents on the reverse, only a large Roman numeral 5 or “V”. Unscrupulous people gold-plated the new nickel and passed the coin as a 5-dollar gold piece, because the 2 coins were about the same size and both had a similar Liberty engraving on the obverse.4
Around this time, famous con artist Josh Tatum supposedly would walk into a store and select a 5-cent item, such as a 5-cent cigar, and tender a 24-karat gold-plated nickel. If the storekeeper noticed it was a nickel, Tatum would simply leave with his purchase. Most of the time, however, he would leave with his purchase and $4.95 in change. When Tatum was eventually apprehended and his case went to trial, the defense attorney asked each storekeeper if Tatum, who could neither speak nor hear, had asked for change back. Every storekeeper testified “no.” Because it was not illegal to gold-plate coins in the 1880s and Tatum did not specifically ask for change back, he was found not guilty. Josh Tatum is often credited with inspiring the term “I was just joshing.” In 1884, this type of counterfeiting stopped when the Mint began to engrave the words Five Cents on the obverse of the nickel.6
The 1913 Liberty nickel was the last of this series and is one of the most valuable coins in the world. One such coin was sold at an auction for $1.485 million.
Nickel coinage in the United States
The history of a common contact allergen
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1071501
never knew that also.
